The Diablo III Website has a list of new hotfixes on the server side for the action/RPG sequel. This includes the previously announced fix to lower the damage dealt by enemies in Monster Power mode as well as changes to the Keywarden and a bug fix that addresses a problem that could cause the game to crash.

Flatline wrote on Oct 24, 2012, 17:29:Never order off of the Dell website. Call them up or email and get a sales person, describe what you want, and have them custom build a system for you.

Email didn't work for me. Earlier this year I tried both on-line chat and email to get a custom built 8500 desktop. Basically, the only thing I wanted which wasn't available on the website was I wanted a Raid 1 configuration. Both email and on-line chat representatives said they could not accommodate me. So, I bought from HP instead.

Yeah, building your own might be cheaper, but convenience is a much bigger issue for me. I got tired of building my own PCs over a decade ago.

? I saved 600+ on my 1500 dollar rig. Took me less than 4 hours to put it together and install Win7 on a SSD. Unless you make 200+ an hour, you are out of your mind.

Does that 4 hours include the research time to go through, compare parts, scrounge for deals, and put your order together?

I *do* charge 150 an hour for my labor for the right projects. Even at 75 an hour, which is my base rate, I ask my clients "do you really want to pay me 75 an hour to build computers for you?" Because I *will* charge for research, parts comparison, scrounging for deals, and every nanosecond I can justify being billable.

I used to *love* updating a clean Windows XP machine with office & windows patches. If they don't have me do other stuff during that down time, that's 2-3 hours of fucking around on facebook and getting paid well to do it.

xXBatmanXx wrote on Oct 24, 2012, 17:33:Why in the world would ANYONE buy a DELL or other big brand name. Get raped on prices and they just use whatever hardware is laying around.

If you can't build your own, but from a local store and still save 20% and they put an additional warranty on it.

Show me a local store that has a warranty that will honor 4-hour, 24/7 parts turnaround on a server.

I had a RAID controller go down on an old server at 10pm on a work night that was still under warranty from Dell. I couldn't even *find* the part to buy locally, let alone get it running by next business day even if I could find the part, but Dell had the card in my hands by 2am and it was up and running an hour later.

When a local store will give me that kind of service, I'll dump dell.

Actually I won't. We have a corporate account with them and it's way easier to do business with them and just tell them specifically what I want than to jump through the hoops that I'd have to with a local company.

And if you think I'm going to build out 100+ desktops on my own, from scratch, I got a bridge I want to sell you.

Mr. Tact wrote on Oct 25, 2012, 12:11:Perhaps you and Bats should create a start-up together and reap the massive profits out of us lazy people.

Unfortunately I think it would die pretty quickly, a lot of people do this already and basically do everything except build it for you. Various forums (SA for example) have a hardware community with a Quick Pick list for novices or people who don't have time to read reviews. It's thoroughly vetted by the community and gives you a bunch of options at various levels where you just dump the parts into a cart and buy, build it later.

Anyways, I totally get both mindsets behind custom vs prebuilt, I was just amused as the "I do it all day!" excuse.

Call it YCWB -- "you choose, we build". Could have a short list of items in stock, and allow people to send you a shopping list off Newegg or something. They front money for their list, shipping, and your build charge. You buy the parts from Newegg or wherever, assemble, ship. PROFIT! Soon you'll have so much money you'll be able to retire.

I believe you can do what you said. However, most people don't have the choice of installing off "non-optical" media and most don't get SSD drives (I've considered it, but not taken the plunge yet). Including the time spent selecting hardware -- reading reviews, comparing options, whatever -- is necessary for a valid cost comparison. The comparisons being made are cost vs. time and convenience. When I ordered my HP box earlier this year it took under 20 minutes.

Perhaps you and Bats should create a start-up together and reap the massive profits out of us lazy people.

Verno wrote on Oct 25, 2012, 10:06:Uhh I can whip a system together in 30 minutes with decent cabling and everything precisely because I do it 8 hours a day. If you really do it 8 hours a day for years it would be rote and no problem in terms of inconvenience.

You can, select, order, and build a PC from parts and install the OS in 30 minutes? Really? Post a youtube video of that.

I can build it from parts sitting in a box in 30 minutes, which was obviously what I meant and not that impressive of a feat either Windows 7 installs to an SSD from non-optical media in roughly 10 minutes on a moderately powerful system. It actually takes longer to install all of your applications and games than it does to build. Better off paying someone to run a system migration for you if you care about saving time or convenience

If someone else wants to spend their money on prebuilt systems then hey whatever, its their money. I just find the whole "I do it all day!!!" thing a bit silly about something that is easily accomplished. I'd rather spend my money getting someone to do the things that are actually difficult and annoying.

Verno wrote on Oct 25, 2012, 10:06:Uhh I can whip a system together in 30 minutes with decent cabling and everything precisely because I do it 8 hours a day. If you really do it 8 hours a day for years it would be rote and no problem in terms of inconvenience.

You can, select, order, and build a PC from parts and install the OS in 30 minutes? Really? Post a youtube video of that.

? I saved 600+ on my 1500 dollar rig. Took me less than 4 hours to put it together and install Win7 on a SSD. Unless you make 200+ an hour, you are out of your mind.

When you work on this shit for 8+ hours a day, for years at a time, the last thing you want to do is go home and fuck with it some more.

Trust me when I say "fuck $600".

Uhh I can whip a system together in 30 minutes with decent cabling and everything precisely because I do it 8 hours a day. If you really do it 8 hours a day for years it would be rote and no problem in terms of inconvenience.

xXBatmanXx wrote on Oct 25, 2012, 00:00:? I saved 600+ on my 1500 dollar rig. Took me less than 4 hours to put it together and install Win7 on a SSD. Unless you make 200+ an hour, you are out of your mind.

First, 600/4 = 150 -- but no, I don't earn over $300k a year, nor do I think I'm out of my mind, I'm just lazy. Second, even if it did only take you 4 hours (are you including time for selecting and acquiring the pieces?) that's a best case scenario. A bad part, software installation issue, an incorrect dipswitch, or a dozen other things can easily turn computer assembly into a long and arduous process. Third, if you are really saving that much money aren't you missing a large business opportunity? You could be earning $150 an hour!

Flatline wrote on Oct 24, 2012, 17:29:Never order off of the Dell website. Call them up or email and get a sales person, describe what you want, and have them custom build a system for you.

Email didn't work for me. Earlier this year I tried both on-line chat and email to get a custom built 8500 desktop. Basically, the only thing I wanted which wasn't available on the website was I wanted a Raid 1 configuration. Both email and on-line chat representatives said they could not accommodate me. So, I bought from HP instead.

Yeah, building your own might be cheaper, but convenience is a much bigger issue for me. I got tired of building my own PCs over a decade ago.

? I saved 600+ on my 1500 dollar rig. Took me less than 4 hours to put it together and install Win7 on a SSD. Unless you make 200+ an hour, you are out of your mind.

Flatline wrote on Oct 24, 2012, 17:29:Never order off of the Dell website. Call them up or email and get a sales person, describe what you want, and have them custom build a system for you.

Email didn't work for me. Earlier this year I tried both on-line chat and email to get a custom built 8500 desktop. Basically, the only thing I wanted which wasn't available on the website was I wanted a Raid 1 configuration. Both email and on-line chat representatives said they could not accommodate me. So, I bought from HP instead.

Yeah, building your own might be cheaper, but convenience is a much bigger issue for me. I got tired of building my own PCs over a decade ago.